THEY were the treasured mementoes of a true hero.

A devastated widow has told of her anger and sorrow after the last items she had to remind her of her late husband were stolen by burglars who broke into her Southampton home.

The distinctive large jewellery box taken from Margaret Moore’s house in Atherfield Road, Millbrook, contained wedding and engagement rings and other sentimental pieces given to her by the man who died four years ago.

Edward Moore, known as Eddy, drowned at Lepe Beach after battling to save his then twoyear- old granddaughter, Keely.

The 43-year-old ground worker had been swimming in the sea with the toddler, his daughter Shauna, now 15, and a friend of hers when they got into difficulty as the tide came in.

Mr Moore put Keely on his back and swam back to shore with his head underwater to keep the toddler above the surface, and then insisted people rushing to help went to the aid of the other girls first.

By the time he was pulled from the water he was unconscious, and was pronounced dead after being airlifted to Southampton General Hospital.

Four years on, Margaret, 47, told how precious gifts given to her by her husband, including items she intended to give to Shauna in later life, have now been stolen.

She said: “They didn’t take anything else. My handbag was on the bed with cash in it, but they didn’t touch that – they saw the box and must have thought it was Christmas.

“It was all the sentimental things – I’m still quite emotional about it.

It’s just brought it all back.

“It’s not because they’re valuable, it’s because they’re gifts from my late husband.

Anybody who knows me knows how emotional I get about it.

“We didn’t have much left when he went. There were lots of memories in there.

“I just want them to let someone know where they’ve sold the jewellery on to so that maybe I can go and retrieve it.

“The two wedding bands are engraved with “Margaret and Eddy, 12 May 1984”, so anyone who has bought them will have seen that.”

Anyone with information about the break-in, on November 5, or the jewellery, should call Southampton police on 101, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.